PLAY Announces First Direct Route to Iceland from Cardiff Airport

Iceland’s leading low-cost airline, PLAY, has announced a limited run of flights from October 10 to November 20, 2024 between Cardiff Airport and Iceland’s Keflavik airport, marking the first ever direct flight between the two capital cities.  

Travellers will be able to fly direct to Keflavik, Iceland’s gate to Reykjavik to explore Iceland’s lagoons and glaciers, or choose to connect to PLAY’s four US destinations (New York Stewart, Boston, Baltimore/Washington, Washington Dulles) and Toronto, Canada.

Flights between Cardiff, Wales and Keflavik, Iceland start at just £59 per person one way, with connections to North America flights starting at £179 per person one way.

PLAY will operate two flights per week (Mondays and Fridays) for a six-week duration ending 20 November, to coincide with school holidays in Wales from 28 October to 1 November. However, flights will adjust to Thursdays and Sundays during the initial week and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the last week to accommodate two UEFA Nations League matches between Iceland vs Wales.

Earlier this year, PLAY launched a self-bookable stopover option in Iceland on transatlantic routes to either the US or Canada. This feature allows travellers to spend up to 10 days in Iceland before getting their connecting flight, at no extra cost. This allows customers a unique opportunity to enhance the journey and explore multiple bucket-list destinations within a single trip.

The airline will operate an Airbus A320neo (180 seats), with the flight time between Iceland and Cardiff just 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY CEO, said: “Our new route from Cardiff to Iceland is the first direct flight between the two destinations. Not only does this mark a milestone for PLAY, but also opens up exciting possibilities for customers wanting to travel to the US and Canada at affordable prices.

“Our new Cardiff route is ideal for families seeking to explore all that Iceland has to offer during the school half-term, as well as enthusiastic football fans eager to watch Iceland vs Wales in the upcoming Nations League later this year.”

In March 2024, PLAY announced the appointment of Einar Örn Ólafsson as the airline’s new CEO. Einar Örn is one of PLAY’s largest shareholders and has been chairman of the board since April 2021.

Ticket are on sale now at www.flyplay.com, with the first flight departing on October 10, 2024.

Learn more about PLAY or book a flight at www.flyplay.com.